By Jamila Talishli, Year 12.
Concerts are a massive part of the entertainment industry, bringing together thousands, or even millions of fans in celebration of their favourite artists. However, the environmental impact of these large-scale concerts is often overlooked. From carbon emissions due to travelling to energy-intensive stage productions, concerts are a major contributor to global pollution. In recent years, several artists have embarked on huge concert tours, like Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres world Tour, Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour and many more. The increasing popularity of these large-scale concerts has sparked discussions about their carbon footprint, and the overall environmental consequences of major tours.
Concerts generate a huge environmental impact due to many factors, such as air travel and transportation, as artists, crew members, and even fans travel extensively, resulting in significant carbon emissions. Concerts also require an enormous amount of electricity for the impressive lighting, special effects and sound system. Some tours even require vast amounts of water for stage effects, cooling systems and sanitation. Large-scale events also often lead to excessive waste from merchandise, food packaging, and disposable products, like xylobands, the LED wristbands which are becoming increasingly more common at concerts.
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, one of the biggest concert events in recent history with over 149 shows, generated an estimated $1 billion in revenue and attracted over 10 million fans. However, the environmental impact of this tour has been widely discussed. Firstly, Taylor Swift has faced scrutiny over her excessive private jet usage, which has tracked making flights as short as 13 minutes. Her use of her private jet has only increased when travelling for her world tour, and it was reported she made over 170 flights in 2022 alone, leading to an estimated 8,293 metric tons of CO2 emissions. The massive venue, using elaborate light shows, pyrotechnics and large-scale stage setups consume enormous amounts of power, and some large stadium shows even use as much energy as a small town does in a day. The fans contribute to the waste too- attendees often purchase extensive amounts of merchandise, and additionally generate tons of plastic waste from discarded wristbands and food packaging. Given the global nature of the tour, fans also fly across countries or even continents to attend, further increasing emissions.
In contrast, Coldplay has actively worked to reduce their environmental impact with their Music of the Spheres World Tour. They have taken significant steps to reduce their carbon footprint, utilising solar panels, wind powers, and even kinetic dance floors to generate energy for the performance. They have also partnered with DHL and use biofuel in their tour vehicles to reduce the emissions from logistics and travel. Coldplay has also encouraged their fans to use eco-friendly transport options, providing incentives for those who do. Additionally, the band has pledged to plant a tree for every ticket sold, partnering with deforestation programs to plant over 5 million trees from the tour alone. They also reduced their waste by using biodegradable confetti, as well as plant-based LED wristbands, which are then collected, sterilized, and reused for the upcoming concerts. These efforts have led to amazing results, where Coldplay reported a 47% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to their 2016-17 tour, and have set new standards in the music industry, demonstrating that major tours can be both profitable and environmentally responsible.
In conclusion, while concerts are an unforgettable experience which bring joy to millions, their environmental cost cannot be ignored. The stark contrast between the Era’s Tour and the Music of the Spheres tour highlight the need for the music industry to embrace sustainability. As awareness grows, artists are increasingly pressured to consider the environmental impacts of their events, and the future of concerts lies in their responsibility and commitment to reducing the industry’s carbon footprint.
